Daily Devotions
Give It Away
Title: Give It Away
Reading for April 4: 2 Samuel 13-14
Weekly reading for April 1-7: Luke 5-9
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:20
We say of Matthew 5:3 that when Jesus says "Blessed are the poor in spirit" that He is not speaking about physical poverty but of humility, and this would be correct. This is a spiritual poverty, not physical.
However, you will notice that Luke's record of these same words (if this is the same sermon), leave out the words "in spirit." Does that make a difference? I believe it does. If you read the context, the list of "blesseds" (vs 20-22) are contrasted by a list of "woes" (vs 24-26), and the woe that corresponds to "blessed are you who are poor" says, "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." (v 24)
I think we hesitate to accept this interpretation because we are so rich. Even the poorest in our country are rich by world standards. How can we, who are filthy rich by world standards, have any hope of entering the kingdom?
Jesus gives us the answer later in chapter 12 of Luke. The answer is a generous spirit that gives away instead of hording up: "Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (vs 33-34)
Father, forgive us of the selfish desire that wants to hang onto unrighteous mammon and help us to joyfully give away what you have graciously given us to serve your purposes!
